United Rugby Championship

United Rugby Championship
Current season or competition:
2023–24 United Rugby Championship
SportRugby union
Instituted2001 (2001)
Number of teams16
NationsIreland Ireland (4 teams)
Italy Italy (2 teams)
Scotland Scotland (2 teams)
South Africa South Africa (4 teams)
Wales Wales (4 teams)
HoldersMunster (4th title) (2022–23)
Most titlesLeinster (8 titles)
Websiteunitedrugby.com
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The United Rugby Championship (URC) is an annual rugby union competition involving professional teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. For sponsorship reasons the league is known as the Vodacom United Rugby Championship in South Africa, and the BKT United Rugby Championship in the competition's other territories, the split branding mirroring the format previously adopted in Super Rugby. The Championship represents the highest level of domestic club or franchise rugby in each of its constituent countries.

The Championship is one of the three major professional leagues in Europe (along with the English Premiership and the French Top 14), the most successful teams from which go forward to compete in the highest-level continental club competitions, the European Rugby Champions Cup and Challenge Cup. Since 2022–23, despite the name, South African teams have been eligible to qualify for European competitions.[1]

  1. ^ "EPCR confirms inclusion of South African clubs for 2022/23 season and beyond". European Professional Club Rugby. 2 June 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2023.

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